Melinda French Gates has said she felt “unbelievable sadness” after new documents highlighted her ex-husband Bill Gates’ past ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking in a preview of NPR’s “Wild Card” podcast, the philanthropist said she was “happy to be away from all the muck” following her divorce from the Microsoft co-founder in 2021.
“Whatever questions remain there of what – I can’t even begin to know all of it – those questions are for those people and for even my ex-husband. They need to answer to those things, not me,” she said. The full interview will be released on Thursday, according to NPR.
Fresh scrutiny emerged after more than three million pages linked to the Epstein investigation were released by the US Department of Justice. The files revived attention on Epstein’s long and controversial association with Bill Gates.
Among the documents are draft messages from 2013 found in Epstein’s email account. While their author is unclear, the notes suggest resentment toward Gates and mention marital tensions, business dealings, health fears, and failed ventures.
Read more: US releases Epstein files, exposing links to powerful figures
Bill Gates has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. A spokesperson rejected the claims as “absolutely absurd and completely false,” saying the documents only show Epstein’s frustration and attempts to defame.
Gates later addressed the issue in an interview, saying, “Apparently Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. That email was never sent, the email is you know, false. So I don’t know what his thinking was there.”
He added, “It’s factually true that I was only at dinners, you know, I never went to the island. I never met any women. And so, you know, the more that comes out, the more clear it’ll be that although the time was a mistake, it had nothing to do with that kind of behavior.”
Melinda French Gates said the revelations reopened “very, very painful times in my marriage.” She described the suffering of Epstein’s victims as “beyond heartbreaking” and “unimaginable.”
“I’m able to take my own sadness and look at those young girls and say, my God, how did that happen to those girls?” she said. “At least for me, I’ve been able to move on in life, and I hope there’s some justice for those now-women.”
The renewed focus shows how past associations can resurface years later. Melinda’s remarks shift attention toward accountability rather than speculation. The issue remains sensitive and closely watched.
